81© bala to shrewsbury. 



Knochin, 



A village about five miles from Llanymynech, has 

 once been a place of feme celebrity. The hall was 

 the refidence of the family of L'Eflrange, who built 

 the town. They had on its fite a caftellated manfion 

 fo early as in the reign of Henry II. The laft of the 

 family was Joan, who married George Stanley, the 

 cldefl fon of the firft earl of Derby. The following 

 occurrence is faid to have taken place, fome years 

 ago, in the neighbourhood of Knochin : 



A man of the name of Elkes was left guardian to 

 his brother's fon. This boy was very young, and 

 the only obftacle to Elkes becoming poffeffed of con- 

 fiderable property. He had long revolved in his 

 mind the manner in which he could rid himfelf of 

 this incumbrance, and at length hit upon the fol- 

 lowing inhuman expedient : a poor child of the 



-village was diredled to take the boy to a diflant 

 corn-field to play and gather flowers. Elkes met 

 them near the fpot, and directed the other child ta 

 return immediately home. He then took his wai'd 

 up in his arms, walked with him to the end of the 

 field, where he knew there was a tub nearly full of 

 water, and forcing his head into it, held him in that 

 pofition till the child was fuffocated. The neigh- 

 bours foon obferved that the boy was miffing ; the 



^poor boy who had accompanied him to the field 

 told his fimple ftory, and a party of them, on 

 fearching the place, difcovered the body. Informa- 

 tion 



